Chelsea are leading the race for Lille attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal, who has also been linked with Liverpool, it has been claimed.
Boufal starred for the northern French club last season and as a a result keeping hold of him could be tough for the Ligue 1 outfit.
Liverpool have been linked with wanting Boufal as an alternative to Bayern Munich's Mario Gotze, but recently Chelsea entered the race for his signature.
And according to Sky Italia, it is the Blues who are now leading the race as they look to put the midfielder at the disposal of incoming manager Antonio Conte.
The 22-year-old made a total of 35 appearances across all competitions for Lille last season and netted 12 goals in the process.
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A Morocco international, Lille have Boufal secured on a contract running through until the summer of 2019.
Boufal helped Lille record a finish of fifth in Ligue 1 last season.
